


Real Parties

by apostate (394percentdone)



Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Other, SO, i'm dead but like, in fact i'd say they're livin the life, they're not!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-16
Updated: 2019-02-16
Packaged: 2019-10-29 12:40:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 958
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17808128
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/394percentdone/pseuds/apostate
Summary: palentine! josephine and leliana's first meeting





	Real Parties

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Merilsell](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Merilsell/gifts).



> i'd say i'm sorry for how, Almost But Not Quite Gay this is but lmao i'm not

Josephine notices her shoes first. Delicate and small, tucked neatly and nearly out of site around the corner. Their soft blue silk takes her breath and the tiny gracefully carved amber flowers have her gasping. Orlesians always have good taste in shoes but Josie has never seen such artistry in footwear before and simply has to meet their owner. 

Picking her way across the semi-crowded parlor Josephine follows after the elusive footwear. Around one corner and another, down a marvelous open staircase and, finally, into the shadowy outside courtyard. Violets and lilies bloom in the fading evening light and Josephine looks around for the owner of the shoes -thinking herself a little foolish for wanting to talk to this stranger enough to follow them where she hasn’t gone before.

But turning back isn’t something Josephine does. So she peers around the garden, eyes narrowed for the dimness. Taking a step from the safety of the doorway Josephine calls out softly, “Hello? I apologize if I alarmed y-” Before she can take a second step the point of something small and sharp digs into the small of her back startling the air from her lungs.

“You should apologize. Why are you following me?” The voice behind her is melodic and sweet and entirely unlike the metal pressing against the laces of her dress. “Who sent you here?” 

Josephine gulps loudly in the otherwise quiet evening. “Nobody sent me madame.” Chancing a glance downwards she catches sight of those beautiful shoes once more and sighs. “I followed you for your shoes, they’re lovely.” 

The pressure vanishes nearly instantly and Josephine’s knees wobble slightly. Her mysterious companion gasps softly and asks, “Really? You like them?” 

Not wanting to turn around just yet Josephine nods emphatically, “Yes! I haven’t seen their like before, so soft and delicate. They’re quite beautiful.” When there isn’t a return of danger, she thinks, Josephine tilts her head curiously to the side and glances over her shoulder. 

Backlit by the dusty lamplight from inside stands a slight-figured woman with a short crop of brilliant red hair. Her eyes are wide and almost sparkling behind a golden sunburst mask covering the upper half of her face and Josephine starts to smile. “My name is Leliana, what may I call you?” None of the animosity from earlier is in her tone instead her voice is light, all but airy even.

“Josephine.” Turning on the balls of her feet Josephine extends a hand in Leliana’s direction and bows her head slightly. “Wherever did you find them, your shoes I mean, if I may ask?” Facing her Josephine notices her shoes don’t quite match her dress -creamy green with a plunging neck and sleek lines, gold lace trailing from the tips of her fingers up to her shoulders and down between the open, exposed skin of her chest to wrap around her waist and fall gently down to the gown’s base. The soft blue of her shoes and the amber of their flowers are far from not quite matching if Josephine is being honest, but they have a certain je ne sais quoi which captivates her anyways. 

Leliana laughs and Josephine darts her eyes up off her shoes back up to Leliana’s face. Open and mischievous eyes. “They were a gift.” Her eyes all but dance in the lantern light and Josephine’s lips break into a grin.

“Would you like to go find the real party?”

The question brings a furrow to Josephine’s brow, “What do you mean the real party?” It sounded a bit peculiar, a bit dangerous, and if it matched the light in Leliana’s eyes, a lot of fun. And Josephine feels its time for a little bit of dangerous fun.

Smiling with sharp teeth. “It isn’t a  _ real _ party until, well, you’ll see.” Leliana singsongs her last words while slipping her arm through Josephine’s. “Besides! I’ve gone the whole evening without talking the latest fashions and that’s no fun at all.” She leans in to whisper into Josephine’s ear, her lips hovering over Josephine’s skin. “Did you see Marquis Dubuisson? What is her mask supposed to be? I thought she was going for hideous but some of the countesses had similar ones and Maker they’re all so dreadful!” 

Her outrage sparks a giggle from Josephine, “It  _ was _ rather repulsive wasn’t it.” 

Walking back inside arm in arm Leliana leads Josephine through the lingering nobles towards a section of wall tucked into a staircase, an alcove of sorts. Two thick wall scones shine light on an ornately framed picture of none other than the Marquis herself. Raising a finger to her lips, the tip of her nail resting against the bottom of her mask, Leliana leans back against the wall and nods her head conspiratorially towards Josephine. 

So, of course, Josephine steps forward and stands next to her a question beginning to form on her lips, cut short by Leliana’s wink. Quick as a flash of lightning Leliana nudges the bottom of the heavy gilded frame ever so slightly and the wall  _ moves. _ The whole wall swings around bringing them from the edges of one party winding down into one starting to heat up. 

Josephine gasps. Now, this is what a bard does, she thinks as Leliana tugs on her arm. Pointing at something further into the large, oddly shaped room they now find themselves in. Blinking in the dimmer light Josephine squints at the board -at the Chantry board sitting at the back of the wall. But there was something else there too.

Something that caused Josephine’s whole body to flush hot with embarrassment. 

“That’s how you know it’s a real party, Josie.” Leliana laughs against Josephine’s side, “When someone’s pantaloons are pinned to the Chantry board!”

**Author's Note:**

> 🤔 how'd she get those shoes 🔪 nobody knows 🔪 and nobody will figure it out! 🤔


End file.
